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Update? (Reply)

I just did three hours of gardening yesterday, pulling up weeds. I wanted to do half an hour, just for some peace and quiet, and it turned into three hours. Oops.

Have some good news:

- Bishop Vincent Long's 2016 Ann D Clark Lecture:We in the church today need to examine our own attitudes and actions towards the victims of injustice and adopt what I would call a seamless garment approach. We cannot be a strong moral force and an effective prophetic voice in society if we are simply defensive, inconsistent and divisive with regards to certain social issues. We cannot talk about the integrity of creation, the universal and inclusive love of God, while at the same time colluding with the forces of oppression in the ill-treatment of racial minorities, women and homosexual persons. It won’t wash with young people, especially when we purport to treat gay people with love and compassion and yet define their sexuality as “intrinsically disordered”. This is particularly true when the church has not been a shining beacon and a trail-blazer in the fight against inequality and intolerance. Rather, it has been driven involuntarily into a new world where many of the old stereotypes have been put to rest and the identities and rights of the marginalised are accorded justice, acceptance, affirmation and protection in our secular and egalitarian society.[Catholica repost of the lecture, with discussion.]He also mentions refugees, divorcees, abuse victims, and other people who don't feel welcome in the Catholic Church. Let's hope Bishop Long of Parramatta is a sign of the future.